Primary school volunteering
44 Chase colleagues got stuck in, volunteering at 17 schools in London and Edinburgh. With 500 books being given to each school, it was all hands on deck to get them in order – and we had a great time!
Chase Rewarding Futures
Our mission is to support underserved communities throughout the UK by improving access to tools, resources and facilities that'll help change lives.
Our long-term commitment
Through our Chase Rewarding Futures initiative, we want to make a positive and measurable impact on underserved communities in the UK.
Our first step was launching the school libraries programme to help combat the broader effects of low literacy skills.
Literacy ability impacts financial skills
"Children and young people who have good reading skills are four times as likely to have good financial skills compared with their peers who have poor reading skills."
Source:National Literacy Trust report 2019 (Opens in new window)
Highlights from year 1
So far, nearly 55,000 children have benefited from the initiative. They have improved access to books, and more enjoyable reading spaces and experiences to help nurture their love of reading.
Primary school library spaces have been transformed
156 libraries have been transformed into creative spaces for children, filled with 92,820 more books and e-books – so they have a greater choice of up-to-date, diverse literature.
Teachers and caregivers are better equipped
312 primary school teachers learnt strategies to help encourage children to read for enjoyment. And 23,332 parents and caregivers have more ways to support their children's reading.
Continuing to champion children's literacy
With growing pressure on family budgets, 1 in 4 parents are asking their children to borrow more books from their school library. That's why we're continuing to partner with the National Literacy Trust and Penguin Random House.
Source: National Literacy Trust report 2023 (Opens in new window)
Making a difference in year 2
We're focusing on 3 key areas to continue supporting children, teachers and caregivers.
Enhancing the school libraries programme
Transforming school libraries in another 7 regions across the UK – that's 14 regions in 2 years.
Reaching more children across the UK
With author visits, reading challenges and more, we're supporting schools beyond those in our library programme.
Improving access with digital resources
Offering things like audio players and e-readers to help make stories more accessible for children.
The Chase Coronation Booklist
Earlier this year, parents, caregivers and teachers helped us create the Chase Coronation Booklist on behalf of over 12,000 children. Together, we're aiming to inspire children to read more widely from the recommendations of others.
Top tips for reading time
We've partnered with the National Literacy Trust to bring you 6 handy videos. Each one provides simple, tried-and-tested tips to help parents and caregivers foster their children's love of reading.
